Common questions relating to Great Shelford leasehold conveyancing
My partner and I may need to sub-let our Great Shelford garden flat for a while due to a new job. We instructed a Great Shelford conveyancing firm in 2001 but they have since shut and we did not think at the time get any advice as to whether the lease allows us to sublet. How do we find out?
Your lease governs the relationship between the landlord and you the flat owner; in particular, it will set out if subletting is prohibited, or permitted but only subject to certain conditions. The accepted inference is that if the lease contains no specific ban or restriction, subletting is permitted. Most leases in Great Shelford do not contain an absolute prevention of subletting – such a clause would undoubtedly devalue the property. Instead, there is usually simply a requirement that the owner notifies the freeholder, possibly sending a duplicate of the tenancy agreement.
Having checked my lease I have discovered that there are only Sixty One years left on my lease in Great Shelford. I now wish to extend my lease but my landlord is absent. What are my options?
If you qualify, under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 you can submit an application to the County Court for for permission to dispense with the service of the initial notice. This will mean that your lease can be extended by the magistrate. However, you will be required to demonstrate that you have made all reasonable attempts to find the lessor. For most situations a specialist would be helpful to try and locate and to produce a report which can be used as evidence that the landlord is indeed missing. It is wise to seek advice from a conveyancer both on devolving into the landlord’s disappearance and the application to the County Court overseeing Great Shelford.
I’m about to sell my ground floor apartment in Great Shelford.Conveyancing is yet to be initiated but I have just had a quarterly service charge demand – what should I do?
The sensible thing to do is clear the service charge as normal because all ground rent and service charges will be apportioned on completion, so you will be reimbursed by the buyer for the period running from after the completion date to the next payment date. Most management companies will not acknowledge the buyer unless the service charges have been paid and are up to date so it is important for both buyer and seller for the seller to show that they are up to date. Having a clear account will assist your cause and will leave you no worse off financially.
I am hoping to put an offer on a small detached house that appears to tick a lot of boxes, at a reasonable price which is making it more attractive. I have subsequently been informed that the title is leasehold rather than freehold. I would have thought that there are particular concerns purchasing a leasehold house in Great Shelford. Conveyancing lawyers have are soon to be appointed. Will they explain the issues?
Most houses in Great Shelford are freehold and not leasehold. In this scenario it’s worth having a local solicitor who is familiar with the area can help the conveyancing process. it is apparent that you are buying in Great Shelford in which case you should be shopping around for a Great Shelford conveyancing solicitor and be sure that they have experience in advising on leasehold houses. First you will need to check the unexpired lease term. As a tenant you will not be entirely free to do whatever you want to the property. The lease will likely included provisions for example requiring the freeholder’spermission to carry out alterations. It may be necessary to pay a maintenance charge towards the maintenance of the estate where the house is located on an estate. Your solicitor should report to you on the legal implications.
All being well we will complete the sale of our £200000 flat in Great Shelford in just under a week. The managing agents has quoted £324 for Certificate of Compliance, insurance certificate and 3 years service charge statements. Is the landlord entitled to charge such fees for a flat conveyance in Great Shelford?
For the majority of leasehold sales in Great Shelford conveyancing will involve, queries regarding the management of a building inevitably needing to be answered directly by the freeholder or its agent, this includes :
- Answering pre-contract questions
- Where consent is required before sale in Great Shelford
- Copies of the building insurance and schedule
- Deeds of covenant upon sale
- Registering of the assignment of the change of lessee after a sale
I invested in buying a studio flat in Great Shelford, conveyancing was carried out 2004. Can you work out an approximate cost of a lease extension? Corresponding properties in Great Shelford with over 90 years remaining are worth £175,000. The ground rent is £55 invoiced every year. The lease expires on 21st October 2097
With just 77 years left to run the likely cost is going to be between £11,400 and £13,200 plus legals.
The figure that we have given is a general guide to costs for renewing a lease, but we cannot give you the actual costs in the absence of detailed due diligence. You should not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt additional concerns that need to be considered and clearly you should be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Please do not move forward based on this information without first seeking the advice of a professional.
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